


lessons

by simplycarryon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, everyone lives au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 22:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5022979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplycarryon/pseuds/simplycarryon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Undyne plays piano. You'd like to learn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [feralphoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feralphoenix/gifts).



> very brief thing based off a headcanon discussion about Undyne teaching Chara to play piano, because it's good for the soul and Undyne would be the best kind of teacher anyway?
> 
> the everyone lives au is my favorite let's be honest.

She’s playing piano.

You’re—well actually you’re not that surprised, you know she has to play piano because she’s not the type to have something in her house that she doesn’t use. But you’ve never heard her playing before, and the contrast it creates in your mind is a little odd. Maybe it just seems strange that someone like her would spend time doing something that doesn’t involve punching things or running around in a hundred pounds of armor.

You let yourself in, not wanting to interrupt her, and pause by the piano as she hammers something out, really putting her elbows into it. The tune reminds you of Alphys, somehow, awkward and genuine all at once. 

Undyne finishes with a flourish and turns to give you a nod. “Sorry about that, kid. Had a flash of inspiration and wanted to try something out. Ready for your cooking lesson?”

“I didn’t know you played.”

“Sure,” she says, cracking her knuckles. “Taught myself. I always wanted to learn how to do it, so I just mashed keys until stuff started sounding right. It’s kinda calming, you know? Helps me get my thoughts in order.”

You poke at a key on the end. It plinks softly in the quiet of her house, and you poke another, and another, picking out keys by ear. It starts to sound like an old memory, the turning of a music box.

You stop. 

“Want me to teach you?” she offers, and you look up from your hesitant fingers to find her grinning to beat the band. “We can put cooking lessons on hold for a while, if you want.”

You’re a little torn. On one hand, Undyne has a lot of really nice knives, and she trusts you enough to let you use them with minimal supervision, and you could probably chop vegetables for hours without getting tired. There’s something relaxing in the repetitive movement, the clean cut of the sharpened edge.

But on the other hand…

You nod, a little faster than you mean to, and sit next to her when she pats the seat.

 

 

You flub the chords, again, and in your frustration you slam your hands into the keys, bashing out angry discordant handfuls of notes. Only after you’re done being furious with yourself and your fingers and the piano and everything do you realize that Undyne’s watching you.

Your blood runs cold, fear pooling in the pit of your stomach as you freeze in place, avoiding looking at her. She’s angry, you’re sure of it. She has every right to be. She offered you something nice and here you are, damaging her piano and making a lot of noise and—

“YEAH!” Undyne shouts, crashing out a similar sequence of noise, elbowing a loud groan out of the piano’s low notes. “C’MON, CHARA! PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT!!”

You stare at her, slack-jawed, and then grin and join her.

It’s not the beautiful sound you want, but it’s something. And it feels good.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Good Company](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5225828) by [feralphoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feralphoenix/pseuds/feralphoenix)




End file.
